What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI : On Wednesday, the Congress party organised a book launch for their veteran politician and President, Mallikarjun Kharge, in the form of a biography, titled “Mallikarjun Kharge: Political Engagement with Compassion, Justice and Inclusive Development”, compiled by Professor Sukhadeo Thorat and Chetan Shinde.
In an interview, Thorat told The New Indian that he had sent out multiple letters to various politicians and IAS officers who had spent a significant amount of time with Kharge to provide inputs for his book. Among the leaders, the compiler had sent the letters to former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, senior leader and Wayanad MP, Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, among other IAS officers.
Thorat expressed that the immediate responses from these individuals were swift, but the chapters arrived in instalments, causing a delay. He shared, “As soon as I sent a letter to these people, they immediately responded. The only delay was in the compilation, so it took time. However, there was tremendous enthusiasm, and this was before he became the president.”
Thorat explained his decision to choose Kharge as his muse, stating that it was his experience of half a century in Indian politics that impressed him the most. “The real reason I wrote this book is the curiosity about a person who has been in politics for 50 years, an MLA for 37 years, and a minister for 17 years. How could he sustain in electoral politics for almost 50 years? That curiosity led me to explore his politics, life, and policies,” he said.
When asked about the highlights that made Kharge’s story worth telling, Thorat emphasised Kharge’s belief in a form of development that predates the World Bank’s and the Indian government’s 11th and 12th Five Year plans to make for a more socially inclusive form of development.
He explained through a story of when Kharge became the education minister within three years of being elected in 1972. “I can only tell you the story that when he was elected in 1972, within three years he was made education minister. He gave several facilities to start schools for the marginalised, making school education accessible. He distributed land too and set up 360 tribunals for landless labourers too,” he expressed.
He also shared that in 1976, Kharge had made the Congress party-led government amend the constitution to establish a special development plan and financial allocation for socio-economically backward regions in Karnataka, comprising six districts. The compiler said, “One of the most outstanding policies was Kalyan Karnataka, consisting of six (very backward) districts. He made the Congress amend the Constitution to provide for a special development plan he amended, made the Congress to amend the Constitution for financial allocation for the scheme.”
Thorat concluded by highlighting Kharge’s ideological base of Ambedkarism and Buddhism. He shared that Kharge had constructed the largest Buddhist vihara in Karnataka at Kalaburagi (formerly known as Gulbarga), emphasising his commitment to social reform and his use of political power to implement policies benefiting the marginalised.
